Incidentally, I'm not sure about your subject line, but Oakland is in Alameda County, Northern Cal.Orange County is just south of Los Angeles County, in southern CAL.

If you write an email to CA-DEATH-INDEX-L@rootsweb.com, you can subscribe to a listing where a volunteer mightlook up the death cert details or the obit.(It's free)You just have to post to it, after you get the details how in a reply email.I've not used it, but there seem to be some OUTSTANDING volunteers who will help you with additional info.

If you just want to obtain a copy of his death cert, you can write to LA County, address for place to write is a www.vitalrec.com (free), but I think their fee for a death cert is higher than posted on the site, so you might want to phone them before writing.